Nets new general manager Billy King is growing impatient and according to Amick's report, may just say forget it. Quite a thing to do just because a team is taking a little extra time deciding on whether or not to pull the trigger on trading their franchise player, but hey, nobody messes with Billy King. Nobody.

Amick also tweeted that goodwill is fading fast between the Nuggets and the other three teams involved in the talks. He says the Nets, Jazz and Bobcats aren't thrilled with the way things are being handled. I guess that happens when you're working in a new owner, new general manager and new consultants to those people.

Wojnarowski mentioned that the holdup for the Nuggets stems from them hoping for a better deal. According to sources, Wojnarowski said Denver hoped to work a deal for maybe Blake Griffin and still is holding hope for Joakim Noah.

As it stands now, the Nuggets would received Derrick Favors, Andrei Kirilenko and two first-round picks in the current proposed deal. Not a shabby deal by any means, but you can't blame them for wanting more for Carmelo.

However, if Denver takes too much time, the teams involved may pull the plug, leaving the Nuggets to find another suitor. And with other teams like the Clippers and Bulls saying their young talent is off the table (Griffin and Noah), Denver could have a hard time finding a deal as good as the current one. It's possible because there's still a lot of time and Anthony is clearly a hot commodity, but the current deal brings Denver everything they supposedly want.

The Nuggets have had their hand forced in this situation from the beginning. And the deeper it goes, the more leverage they lose.

Bobcats guard D.J. Augustin is still not part of the deal. The Nets are pushing for Augustin for obvious reasons. By trading Devin Harris, New Jersey wouldn't have a point guard on the roster sans Jordan Farmar. And who really wants Jordan Farmar as their starting point guard?

From Denver's perspective there are "a lot of moving parts that could make it fall apart," but "no deal breakers."

A league executive speculated that Melo may not be sold on Jersey and might be afraid about going there "by himself." Melo could be trying to determine whether Chris Paul would join him there in two years. The Nets certainly wouldn't have the remaining assets to land Paul now, but with CP3 becoming a free agent in 2012, there's that opportunity for sure.

Remember, this deal isn't done yet. Not only has Carmelo not committed to New Jersey, but Denver's a bit hesitant to pull the trigger.

A person involved in Melo talks tells Ken he's "not optimistic" this gets done today. But remember, wheels move fast in the NBA once they get set in motion, so it's definitely possible.

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! reports the same thing about Paul joining Melo saying, "This is part of reason CP3 joined with Worldwide Wes and CAA: to be packaged with fellow stars. Once, they wanted Knicks. Now? May be Nets. " And don't we remember Chris Paul's toast at Carmelo's wedding? It's definitely possible they've been talking of joining up for a while.

That should catch you up somewhat until the next flurry of news comes out. Spend that time waiting for the next batch of news reading up on our stellar college football blog before Alabama and Arkansas play on CBS today. Or go mow your yard or something. Whatever.

Four-team trade may expand to five teams by end of weekend, Denver considering holding out for better deal, and Nets want Augustin.

Okay, so it's been one of those whackadoodle days where nothing has happened for a while and then lots and lots of stuff happens in a very short amount of time. Let me explain. No, that would take too much time. Let me sum up .

Most notably, KB says the Nets at some point looked down at their roster , saw that they'd be starting Jordan Farmar and Jordan Farmar alone at point guard, then started making noise about also wanting Charlotte's D.J. Augustin included. That's how these things go, where D.J. Augustin suddenly becomes a sticking point.

The Bobcats obviously are reticent to give Augustin up, especially because the deal for them would essentially become Boris Diaw (who has a player option for 2011-2012) and Augustin for Devin Harris. Harris is clearly a significant upgrade at a position they desperately need help at, but that's a lot of assets to give up for a player who's not an elite team.

If the Bobcats stick to their guns and the Nets still need a point guard, there's the possibility of a fifth team being added, making this the most ridiculous trade of the year, or at least a strong candidate.

So where does Dampier go from here? Dampier had mutual interest in both the Rockets and the Nuggets and he'll likely turn one of those directions now. Reportedly, Dampier had hesitations in signing with Denver because of the uncertainty of the team's current future. With news out that Carmelo Anthony very likely may be gone before the weekend is over, Dampier might favor Houston now.

Or, he could get a call from a whole other team. Like I said, a lot can change in a little amount of time.

Now, of course the hanging chad here is if Carmelo is willing to sign an extension with the Nets. It's become pretty clear that New York and Chicago are Anthony's preferred destinations. But both of those teams don't appear to be serious players at this point. Chicago isn't willing to add Joakim Noah to a deal and the Knicks simply don't have what the Nuggets want.

Stein said the teams are "seriously engaged" in the talks and right now, the trade could potentially drop at any minute. The Nuggets probably prefer to get something done over the weekend if they're convinced Anthony won't come back to signing the extension in Denver. Training camp starts next week and surely management would like to move on with a fresh start rather than having the Melo shadow looming over everything done in camp.

Nothing is done until it's done, but this is a pretty serious deal. The Nuggets would get pretty much exactly what they want, the Nets get Anthony and Utah and Charlotte get to unload some salary. Utah has worked extremely hard to restructure its salary situation and this deal could get them out of the red. A Kirilenko-Diaw switch gets Utah comfortably out of the luxury tax area. In fact, it could be somewhere in the double-digit million tax move. Instead of paying $5 million, Utah could be looking at a $5 million payout .

And of course Charlotte gets a nice point guard in former All-Star Devin Harris. Nothing wrong with that for trading Diaw, who looked pretty fat during the World Championships.

Berger noted the deal is "nowhere near" to completion because of the complications of getting such a deal done, but the talks are happening and the Nets are pushing.

But by the way it sounds, it comes down to Anthony's future plans. If he's willing to ink long-term in New Jersey, this deal could end up going through. And it might just work out decently for everyone.

Bill Plaschke of the LA Times on Andrew Bynum's latest injury: "The last time a Lakers big man did something so medically dumb, it was Shaquille O'Neal refusing to fix his toe until just before the 2002-03 training camp, claiming: "I got hurt on company time, so I'll heal on company time." Two underachieving seasons later, he was on Miami time, traded because owner Jerry Buss decided he wasn't worth the trouble. Interestingly, the guaranteed part of Bynum's contract expires in two seasons, at which point Buss will have to make the same sort of decision. At this rate, maybe he shouldn't even wait that long. How can Andrew Bynum be the Lakers' future if you can't count on him today?"

Chris Mannix of SI on the Warriors move yesterday: "It's not like Lacob had many alternatives, either. Jeff Van Gundy isn't leaving the ABC booth for the Warriors and it's a little late in the game to be dialing up Lawrence Frank and Sam Mitchell too. Plus Smart, who Lacob told Bay Area reporters will receive a multi-year contract, comes cheap. If it doesn't work out this year the team can always cut ties after the season. But with Nelson gone, the Warriors can finally look towards the future without being encompassed by the shadow of the past. A new era has begun in Golden State and let's face it, it can't be much worse than the last."

Tim Kawakami on the end of the Don Nelson era: "Nelson just couldn't win anymore. And it became clear that he stopped caring, too. That is how Nelson morphed himself into the Cohan Culture, with spot moments of success amid long periods of massive distress and political intrigue. I don't know how the Lacob era will turn out. Maybe well, maybe more seasons of failure. But Lacob knew that had to start by moving Don Nelson aside -- and all his eccentricities and feuds and controversies along with him. Nelson wasn't the worst thing about the Warriors. But he was, in the end, the most visible and corrosive influence on the players and fans. By cleaning him out, Lacob creates a fresher Warriors climate and a brand new era."

The Nuggets have said they want three things: cap relief, a young talent and picks. The Knicks are good in two of those areas - cap relief (Eddy Curry) and young talent (Toney Douglas, Wilson Chandler, Anthony Randolph and Danilo Gallinari). What they lack is draft picks, because the one they had was sent to Houston in a trade last season for Tracy McGrady.

And that's something general manager Donnie Walsh questions himself over constantly.

"I'll second-guess myself forever on that," Walsh told the New York Daily News in talking about including a 2012 first-round pick in the McGrady trade. "I've always wondered about that. I didn't like it when we did it."

I have to say, Walsh's honesty there is refreshing. Not too often do GMs admit that they may have gotten something wrong. Typically, even if a move was horrible and never came close to working out, there's some kind of justification and explanation that tries to show how it made sense at the time. But Walsh doesn't walk down that path here. He says he thinks he may have blew it.

Because at the time, it kind of did make sense. The McGrady trade helped create the cap space needed for the Knicks to sign Ray Felton and Amar'e Stoudemire this offseason. And without those moves, New York might not looks as appealing to Anthony. But that's a maybe. What we know is that Houston owns the pick the Nuggets would want.

But Walsh is trying to atone. He told the NY Daily News that he's trying to acquire a first-round pick that he could potentially use in a deal for Carmelo. But he's going to have to give something up to get it. It's just the circle of life in NBA transactions. A revolving door of moves that can be second-guessed forever.

GMs have to make choices all the time and when they don't work out, there's no one to blame but themselves. Though in a lot of cases, they try and point the finger or at least give an excuse. Walsh made a trade last year that resulted in the Knicks clearing space for a run at LeBron James. They didn't get him, but instead landed Amar'e Stoudemire. But that trade could be what costs New York Carmelo Anthony. And it's what's keeping Donnie Walsh awake at night.

Heat have a block party blocked, Parker may be on the way out, Howard hates the Heat, and the lockout's going to suck, all in today's Shootaround. Posted by Matt Moore

The Heat had planned this big ol' block party to celebrate the opening of the NBA season in Miami. It was a very exciting idea, and Miami does this sort of thing pretty regularly (Zo's Summer Bash being one relatively similar example). But with the police union organizing to protest the event over budget cuts made to their salaries, and with the immense number of logistical issues involved, the plan is on hold . Allow me to add my name to those who think this is a totally whacko idea. Outside of the sheer intensity of a Friday night party outside the arena and the number of safety and security issues at play here, you've also got a pragmatic issue for the Heat. The Miami Triad will be expected to make an appearance at this event, and that's going to take them away from pre-game preparation for their home opener, against a divisional opponent who they have a pretty good chance of seeing in the playoffs. This is not a game you want to slough off right out of the gate. Definitely check the link for some tasty quotes from the mayor that involve the word "party."

Buck Harvey of the San Antonio Express-News reports that if the Spurs don't look like they'll be contending for a title at the trade deadline, they'll move Tony Parker. Which is kind of a bombshell, in that every public indication from the Spurs has been a steadfast commitment to keeping Parker long-term. But the astounding volume of rumors suggesting his eventual move to New York do have to come somewhere, and can't survive solely on the whims of New York's admittedly powerful (and often nutball) media.

In an interview with Sports Illustrated 's Dan Patrick, Dwight Howardsaid he'd rather haveKevin Durant than LeBron James. Why is this particularly relevant? Mostly because it's an indicator that a. Kevin Durant is at that level among his peers already and b.) Dwight Howard really, really, really hates all the attention the Heat are getting. We'll have more on this later today.

You know what's amazing? No, not that Andrew Bynumput off surgery which has now affected the odds of him being available for training camp and opening night. No, what's amazing is that writers are surprised by this kind of behavior. Bynum has missed nearly every deadline he's had for the past three seasons in recovering from various injuries. Some of that isn't his fault, the body heals as the body heals, But he's never been known was a hardcore worker, with Tex Winter being a vocal and public critic of his .

David Stern told Gilbert Arenasnot to discuss the gun incident that lead to his suspension last year. The bossman says to put it all behind him. Seems like a good idea, but if I'm Stern, I want every reminder presented to Arenas that he needs to walk the line. This is not a man who seems like the kind to learn from past mistakes.

From the Department of Black Kettles, Phil Jackson says "teamwork wins, not talent." Bear in mind this is from the guy who has only won his titles in huge markets playing with the most dominant players of their respective eras, including the greatest of all time. Really, Phil? Because the last time we checked, you're not exactly all about equal parts overcoming the whole. Or maybe that's just what you saw in 2004 when the Pistons took down the mega-Lakers.